Complicated sleep problem

Nightowl!

Gosh! I had no idea this was a site for insomniacs.

DH and I wake up regularly during the night. He, being male, has to pee a lot. And, being a gentleman, he usually asks if I would like to go as well (this happens even when I am out for the count). So I do. Go. Then he puts on his flight mask and plugs in his ear-phones (Radio 4) and I - now fully awake - put on my new bendy reading light and read and read and read until I get to the stage when I am no longer taking anything in and turn out the light. It does work.

PS: We also have afternoon naps (in separate rooms) but find other people of our age very unforthcoming on this subject. Guilt do you think?

Jingl - I'm also a fan of the world service in the wee sma' hours but find that a boring programme keeps me awake. However as soon as I get interested in something I do fall asleep. I think it's because I am fully distracted and stop going over whatever it is that's bothering me.

I couldn't do without the world service! The only problem is, I can't get it on cruises!

Yes em. And I think speech can have an hypnotic effect, too. Music doesn't have the same effect.

This thing about the spoken word is very true. If I'm desperate to have a nap during the day, I just switch on the television and within a few minutes I'm off to sleep. We live in the country and, although I'm not complaining, I do sometimes find the intense silence almost prevents me going to sleep - I still miss the distant "hum" from the docks where we used to live. If we have a windy night, I sleep like a baby!

Not sleeping well is now the norm for me. I usually wake every 2 hours, sometimes I get back to sleep, sometimes not for many hours. Somehow though I don't seem to be tired in the day, although I used to be an 8 hours a night person. Now 4 to 5 hours, of broken sleep, seems to do me! Amazing. So I read, get up and do something or just lie there thinking of what I have to do the next day! Maybe a good night time stiff drink would help...something I must try!

Going back to the book that was discussed earlier in this thread. It can be found at:

http://www.amazon.com/At-Days-Close-Night-Times/dp/0393050890

The author doesnt just talk about two phase sleep but talks of getting up and doing things in the wakeful period between sleeps rather just trying to get back to sleep again.

I used to have unbroken sleep but now if I wake and do not think I will get back to sleep easily I get up and do other things, not quite as dramatic as suggested in the book, I have yet to go out and do any gardening but reading, doing paperwork or the ironing all fill the time until I am ready for sleep again and I can sleep as late as I like because a lot of my early morning activities are already done.

I take a couple of herbal sleeping pills at 9.30pm and put the light out an hour later. Most nights I go straight to sleep. I wake at 2am to go to the loo and then again at 4.30am. I listen to the BBC World Service with my portable radio [with earphones]. Then it's on to BBC Radio 4 where I find the Shipping Bulletin at 5.20am to be quite relaxing but I much preferred it when it was accompanied by a melody of sea shanties. I stay awake until the end of Farming Today on BBC Radio 4 which, although I am an Urbanite, I do find to be of great interest. I always fall asleep again at 6am. Why is that? I am retired so don't have to get up but I still do at 7am to make a cuppa for my wife and me. My wife tends to wake at 2am and then reads for an hour. So I wear a double eye mask which I find helps to keep the light out. My wife snores quite a lot so sometimes I repair to the spare room in the middle of the night.

I like Farming Today. It's a nice friendly programme. I hate the Shipping Forecast with a vengeance though! That's when I go to the bathroom, and have a drink and take my omeprazole tablet.

I get bad dreams with herbal sleeping pills.

FlicketyB I got most of my Christmas presents wrapped up during the night last year.

I always fall asleep at st Catherine's point. Just before my area of the inshore shipper.(including the Bristol channel)

i go straight to sleep generally, but often wake at 3.28. I used to lay in bed trying to get back to sleep - without success - and then feeling worn out all day. This all changed when I was bought an I-pad and started listening to a deep relaxation app whenever I woke up at this time. I now go back to sleep within a few minutes and wake up refreshed when the alarm goes off. Listening to a relaxation programme might not work for everyone, but it's certainly helped me.

Try keeping a notebook by the side of the bed in which you write down any thoughts e.g. things you mustn't forget to do the next day. That way you can relax and clear your mind. I am sure we all have a hundred things buzzing round by the end of the day and these are what can keep us awake .

I am writing this at 3am on one of my "can't sleep" nights! It always starts the same way, I go to bed, hubbie snores, I lay there with thoughts going round in my head, then the anxiety kicks in, and I have to get up - its nearly always 2am by then. Sometimes its an hour, or sometimes can be 3. It goes through phases, but when I am in it I definitely give up on the sleep and come downstairs and look at my computer or sometimes just sit in the chair! I don't always feel tired the next day, but I just can't switch off my brain - which I think is the problem!

I hope you're fast asleep now nanajan. I woke at 5 am, and ended up getting out of bed at 6am. No point staying there and trying to go back to sleep, but I know I will be sliding down in my chair for 10 minutes before 9 am!

I have a very good Paul McKenna CD that I am going to root out for tonight. He has done several CDs for deep relaxation and they do work. I always fall asleep within 10 minutes with the one I have.

Morning Carol. Well the world gets light about 6. Woke me up.
My DH is an iphoner Midge58 - I will get him downloading that app. later. Thanks.

Hello all.
I just got up but have been awake since 4....5 hours sleep, and I won't get more now, will just have to go with it.

I know what is bothering me this time; a) I didn't get my hair washed yesterday to go to my daughter's, and need to do it this morning so have to leave enough time and b) I'm wondering if the one of my grandsons who I have unfinished business with will turn up....I actually need to talk to him, and he hasn't answered any communications...money stuff.

Feel sleepy.

There are some more apps mentioned here on this article for iphone users. Hadn't heard about them until mentioned above, so will give one or two of them a try.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/weekly-top-iphone-apps-sleep-and-relaxation-1904053.html

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Do you live in the South West of England?
Are you aged 65 or over?
Do you take medication for sleeping problems?

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR VIEWS AND EXPERIENCES!

Volunteers are invited to an interview regarding personal experiences with sleep medication, approved by The University of Bristol's Ethics Board.

If interested, please email Georgia on [email protected] or call 07753448779.

This study is confidential and all details will be held anonymously.

Thank you!!